


Please don't leave me, baby

by kubrickpotter



Series: Papa [1]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Angst, Daddy!Mickey, F/M, Happy Ending, Ignore Season 666, M/M, Mickey is Papa, Prologue, Sweet, Yevgeny is a cutie, post 5x12
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-06
Updated: 2016-01-08
Packaged: 2018-05-12 05:35:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5654374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kubrickpotter/pseuds/kubrickpotter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mickey has someone in his life that he loves and who loves him just as hard back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

It was within 3 hours since Mickey’s release from jail that he found himself walking down a familiar street. It was obvious, really in the end. They couldn’t hold him for much longer. They didn’t have proof, they didn’t have witnesses, they just had the ravings of Sammi Gallagher who had been picked up for chasing Mickey down the street with a gun. It was fuck all to go on and everyone knew it.

He walked heavily down the street, the same street he had ran down whilst been shot at by the crazy Gallagher (one of many crazy Gallaghers) and came to a stop outside a familiar looking house. He looked up at the old door before sighing and gritting his jaw.

Mickey would never have called himself a proud man, but grovelling was not something high up on his list. His ego, though not as big as some people assumed, was about to take a big hit as he readied himself to beg, plead even, for someone to come back to him.

Running up the stairs to get this over with, he banged heavily on the door. Kev answered. He was surprised to see Mickey, assumed he’d be banged up for good this time. Mickey brushed it off with a mumble and asked, “Svetlana here?”

Kev gave him a “Yeah, man” and stepped back to shout Svetlana to the door. She appeared 10 seconds later with a sleeping Yevgeny on her shoulder. Mickey stared at the little boy’s face before looking up at his wife. She only seemed mildly surprised to see him. Mickey noticed her hair was shorter. It suited her.

It only took Mickey 15 minutes to convince Svetlana to leave the Balls and come back to live at the Milkovich house. She remained silent, staring intensely as Mickey reeled off everything he had to offer to make her come back, but it was when he said he wanted to get to know Yevgeny, wanted to be a real Father, her expression thawed and she nodded her head.

“Yes,” she said simply. “We come back.”

And that was it. Svetlana moved back home the same day and Mickey got to hold his son while she unpacked.

 

It didn’t take long for either of them to get into a routine. The three of them were the only ones living there now, with Iggy making an occasional appearance, but he was harmless enough. Mickey took over a lot of tasks when it came to Yev, including changing his diapers, bath time and getting him dressed in the mornings. Svetlana even let Yev sleep in Mickeys room every other night. Though Mickey found he didn’t sleep much those nights, too busy staring at his sleeping son with his heart aching fondly in his chest.

It was a year later, when Yev was only 3 that Svetlana began acting strange. She was moody, moodier than usual and was snapping at Mickey more than he liked.

“The fuck is your problem?” Mickey had asked weeks later. Svetlana had shouted at Yevgeny for jumping from the couch to the armchair over and over again for the last 30 minutes and that shit just doesn’t fly around Mickey.

“Baby is being annoying!” Svetlana snapped and Yevgeny dropped heavily onto the armchair with his little bottom lip sticking out.

“Hey,” Mickey hissed, taking Svetlana by the arm and pulling her over to the kitchen, out of earshot of the sulking 3-year-old. “I don’t care how pissed off you are; you don’t shout at the kid. Got it?”

Svetlana huffed and nodded and for the time being Mickey let it drop, until one night Svetlana snapped when Mickey forgot to give Yev his bath. It was ridiculous and over the top and Mickey stood there bemused as Svetlana rant and raved about what it meant to be a good parent.

Eventually her tirade stopped and Mickey was left standing in front of a sobbing Svetlana, whose face was hidden behind her hands. If Mickey was uncomfortable before he was unbearably so now. After some awkward coaxing from Mickey, Svetlana finally spilled the beans on what had been bothering her.

Apparently people had been making comments down at the Alibi, where Svetlana had been working behind the bar for the past year. It wasn’t great pay but as long as she didn’t have to suck any more dicks for 10 bucks a pop then both she and Mickey were happy with it. The comments were all about how Svetlana had managed to dupe Chicago’s big, bad, gay boy into not only raising her baby but paying for it too.

According to the local winos and alcoholics, no-one believed Mickey could be the real Father. It was most likely Terry’s. At first the comments and jokes hadn’t bothered her, but then Vee had asked her who she really thought Yev’s dad was.

“He is yours!” Svetlana cried. “I know it.”

Mickey gently put his hands on Svetlana’s shoulders. “You’re right. He is. He’s my son. It doesn’t matter what DNA says, he’s mine.”

Svetlana had torn away from and growled in frustration. She stormed off before Mickey could utter another word. It was a few weeks later that Mickey found out that Svetlana had ordered for a DNA test. He didn’t know where she got the money for it and he didn’t ask either. He just stared at Colin who came home from visiting Terry in the can, with a hand full of hairs.

“How the fuck did you-“

“Fucker’ll never hug me again that’s for sure.” Colin grinned, looking accomplished with himself as he gave the grey hairs to Svetlana who put them in a clear plastic bag marked Terry Milkovich.

Next she took a long cotton bud and told Mickey to open wide. He did and she swabbed the inside of his cheek. She then put that in a separate bag which was clearly marked Mickey Milkovich. She swabbed herself and repeated it on Yevgeny who giggled at the tickling sensation.

Without another word she sealed each bag into a large brown envelope with an address written in blue ink. She calmly walked out the door and no more was said about it.

It took 10 days for the results to come back. Mickey tried not to think about it. Tried not to let it bother him that he was going to find out if the little boy who followed him everywhere like a lost duckling was his son, his brother or a stranger’s child. The thought of Terry being Yevgeny’s father made his stomach twist. Svetlana had sworn that she had only had sex with Terry after she found out she was pregnant, but really that didn’t make it any better. He wanted his son nowhere near the sickness that was his father.

Mickey was playing with Yevgeny on the floor in front of the couch, building blocks into boats and pretending to crash into each other and sink. Yevgeny was giggling like mad when Svetlana had walked in the house and checked the mail lying in front of the door that Mickey hadn’t bothered to pick up. She scanned one envelope and then the next. When she reached the third, she put the rest on the coffee table and calmly opened it. She didn’t say anything or even look at the letter, she simply held it out in front Mickey so he could see it in her hands.

There was a diagram with _Childs Name: Yevgeny Milkovich_ and _Alleged Father’s name: Terry Milkovich. Probability of paternity: 0%_

And beneath that was another diagram with _Childs Name: Yevgeny Milkovich_ and _Alleged Father’s name: Mickey Milkovich. Probability of paternity: 99.999%_

He glanced up at Svetlana who raised an eyebrow, not even needing to look at the paper to be confident. Mickey gave her a nod and she returned it before folding the paper into thirds and sliding it into a draw in the cabinet just to the side of the living room.

Mickey went back to playing with Yevgeny but found it hard not stare at the little boy who happily and obviously continued to ram his ‘boat’ against the coffee table. Mickey was almost in awe. This kid, this fucking amazing kid was his. His to love and be loved by and no one could take that away from him. Without thinking about it, Mickey grabbed Yev by his armpits and hoisted him into his lap. Yev laughed, like the happy little fucker he always was and hugged Mickey tightly when Mickey pulled him to him.

“Silly Papa,” Yevgeny whispered patting his tiny hand onto the top of Mickey’s head.

Yeah. Papa. That’s who he was.

 

Three months later, Mickey opened the door to Ian Gallagher standing on his porch. He’d seen him around on the street here and there over the past year or so, but they’d never spoken, never acknowledged each other, so to say that Mickey was surprised to see him now was an understatement.

Mickey let him in after only a brief hesitation and they sat themselves on the couch while Yev sat in front of the TV staring intently at the big blue alien thing dancing and singing the alphabet. Svetlana was always going on about how he would ruin his eyesight sitting that close but Mickey did it when he was a kid and it never did him any harm.

He and Ian sat in silence for a good minute before Ian cleared his throat and began talking. His voice was soft and he sounded… sad? He first asked how Mickey was, what he was up to these days. Mickey answered, told him about the garage he worked at on the mornings during the week before Svetlana went to work in the afternoons so someone was always home with Yev. He told him a little about Yev too, but not much. He kept most of it to himself. It was private, between him and his son and no one else.

Ian seemed interested, smiling when Yev was brought up. Mickey knew Ian saw Yev sometimes. Whenever he went over to visit the Ball twins Ian sometimes made an appearance to see him. Svetlana had told him. It had annoyed him at first but he soon got over it.

The conversation didn’t take long to move to the reason Mickey knew Ian was here. Their relationship. It started with Ian apologising. Apologising for the way he had treated him. His cold feelings when he broke up with him, for the fact that he did break up with him. For punching him. For all the mean things he said and did when he should have known better.

Mickey sat quietly while Ian reeled off a list of all his sins when it came to Mickey. The affairs, the anger, the downright disrespect. Eventually Mickey held his hand up and halted Ian’s words.

“Why are you here, Ian?” Mickey asked.

“T-to apologise.” Ian looked confused for being interrupted.

“That’s all?”

Ian shifted, clearly uncomfortable. “Are you… are you seeing anyone?”

Mickey inhaled deeply. “No. You?”

“No,” Ian replied. He looked around the room, not able to meet Mickey’s eye. “I had been though.”

“Oh yeah?” Mickey replied, not even the littlest bit surprised.

“Yeah. A fireman.”

“Nice. So how long where you together?”

Ian shrugged, eyes planted on the ground in front of him, his whole body turned away from Mickey. “7 months, or so.”

“Long time.”

“Yeah.”

Mickey let the silence stretch just to watch Ian squirm. Eventually he asked, “When did you guys break up?”

Ian seemed to steel himself, his shoulders tensing and his fingers locking with each other. “2 weeks ago.” It was a whispered confession.

Mickey nodded. “I think it’s time for you to go.”

Ian was startled. He looked up at Mickey quickly and said, “Mickey, wait!” He stammered out that, that wasn’t what he was here for. He’d known for a long time what a mistake he’d made letting Mickey go. He wasn’t here for a rebound.

Mickey brushed it all aside and sighed, fed up already with the drama. “I don’t want you here Ian.”

“Well then. I’ll come back. And I’ll keep coming back until you do want me here.” He then walked out of the house, closing the door quietly behind him.

Ian made good on his threat and showed up once a month. Mickey let him in every time. Knowing it was pointless trying to argue with him. Sometimes they talked and sometimes Ian watched Mickey playing with Yev with a soft smile on his face.

Sometimes Ian talked about the Gallaghers, how they were getting on now. Apparently Debbie had had a baby, but after trying to look after it for 3 months put it up for adoption. Mickey would have said he respected that decision, Debbie was too young and piss poor to raise a kid, but ever since Ian had told him Debbie once raped a boy to lose her virginity all respect for Debbie Gallagher went out the window.

Ian usually stayed for about 2 hours before heading out and then not showing up again until a month later. Mickey appreciated the length of time between each visit. If Ian started to force himself on Mickey more than that, then Mickey would begin to resent him.

It was six months later, Ian’s sixth visit that Ian leaned forward and kissed Mickey while they had been watching the new Pixar movie Mickey had got on bootleg for Yev. Mickey’s first instinct was to shove him away, demand he leave, but the kiss was so quick and so innocent, Mickey allowed it to happen. It happened again the next time and then the next. Nothing was ever said. They kissed for last five minutes of every visit, with Yevgeny giggling in the background and making kissy noises.

Mickey never let Ian believe it was any more than the kissing and Ian didn’t seem to presume it was more, so Mickey was fine to let it continue.

Within the next year, Mickey wasn’t the only one to get a little bit of action. Svetlana had met some business guy who had come into the Alibi for directions one day and became infatuated with Svetlana. His name was Aaron and he worked for some swanky accountancy up in the Northside.

When Svetlana had told Mickey she was going on a date with this guy is first question was, “Aren’t you a lesbian?”

Svetlana simply rolled her eyes. “I have choice.”

“So you’re Bi?”

“Choice!”

And that was that. Mickey gave the guy a good grilling when he came to pick Svetlana up. He seemed decent enough but he had one test to pass before Mickey was going to let the guy anywhere near his family.

Every night it was Mickey’s job to tuck Yevgeny in bed. He brushed his hair from his son’s forehead. His hair was darker than it was when he was a baby but lighter than Mickey’s. It was caramel like Svetlana’s hair.

“What did you think of Mama’s friend?” Mickey asked smoothing down the bed sheets as Yev made himself comfortable.

“He’s nice,” Yev answered. “Funny too.”

That’s all Mickey needed to hear. “Good. Goodnight.”

“Night. Love you, Papa.”

“Love you too, baby.” Then Mickey kissed Yev on the forehead like he did every night.

 

Svetlana had been dating Aaron for 1 year and Yevgeny was aged 5 when she sat Mickey down in the living room. Her face white, her eyes red. Mickey chewed on his lip, wondering who he needed to kill but it turned out to be much worse than he was thinking.

Apparently Aaron’s firm had had a vacancy. Something with good benefits and a great salary. Svetlana had never thought in a million years that she would get it, but she did. Nepotism included girlfriends and boyfriends.

It made sense therefore, for her and Yevgeny to move in with Aaron, up in Northside. An hour and a half train ride away.

She spoke quickly, not giving Mickey time to think. “It will be good for Yev. He will go to good school. He will have big house and big garden. You can see him every weekend. It won’t be so bad. Aaron wants to marry me.”

It was coming so fast. The placating excuses and apologies. Mickey was numb. Except for his stomach which was tight and burning.

All he knew was, the one person in his life that was his, that he loved and who loved him back, was being taken away from him. And there was fuck all he could do about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have never written Shameless fic before and I've not written in awhile so I hope it's okay so far.
> 
> The next chapter is more linear than this. This being just the prologue I wanted to cover a larger time scale.


	2. Chapter 1

It was a warm Summer’s day and the Ball’s back yard was filled with Gallaghers, Milkoviches and their own twins. Kev was at the barbeque, beer in hand and smoking sausages on the grill. He was surrounded by his neighbours and his wife all staring in the same direction, shock and confusion covering each one of their faces.

Off to the side of the yard was Mickey Milkovich of all people running around with his son, the twin girls and Liam. The five of them were laughing and squealing, high pitched and energetic. The only Gallagher who didn’t have a face of utter surprise was Ian, who merely smiled softly, his eyes never once leaving the laughing older Milkovich.

Svetlana, who had been chatting with her Fiancé, came over to get a beer. She stopped at the sight of the gaping group.

“What? What are you staring at?” She asked.

Vee raised her eyebrow. “You seeing this?” She pointed to Mickey. “Who’s he trying to kid, huh? Kid’s leaving today so he thinks he can act like dad of the year all of a sudden?”

Svetlana’s face instantly pinched and everyone who was standing took an immediate step back.

“You know nothing,” Svetlana hissed. “Mickey is good Father. He loves his little boy more than any of you could know. You have not seen what he has done for his family, how hard he works. You do not see because he does not come here when I visit. He does not want to see arrogant faces of people who judge him. He does not want to see Orange Boy when he does not have to. He is good Father.” She swallowed hard. “And today I am taking away his child. So if anyone says anything to make him more upset, I will take barbeque fork and stab you all in the belly. Understood?”

The nodding heads were instantaneous. Though the Gallaghers, Lip and Fiona especially still went back to their incredulous expressions. Svetlana let it slide for now. She couldn’t change a lifetime of judgement in one day.

 

At 4pm, when the sun was still shining but the crowd began to get tired, Aaron said it was time to go. The movers van had already left that morning, taking Svetlana’s and Yev’s things with them. Now Aaron’s silver Prius was parked outside of the Balls house ready to whisk Mickey’s family away.

Mickey held Yev’s hand as he led him to the car. Ahead of them Svetlana and Aaron were putting a few things in the trunk. Behind them the entire brood of Gallaghers and Balls followed them onto the street. Mickey hated them all in that moment. He wanted to say goodbye to his son in peace, not with an audience of nosy assholes.

With a slam of the trunk, Svetlana walked round to the passenger side of the car, folded her arms and gave Mickey a nod.

Feeling his throat dry within seconds, Mickey kneeled down so he was eye level with his son, who was smiling brightly at him.

“You be good, okay.” His voice sounded thick.

Yev frowned but continued to smile through it. “I’m always good, Papa.”

“Yeah,” Mickey laughed, sounding more like a sob. “Yeah you are. You’re a good boy.” He pulled Yev into his arms and Yev tightened his own around Mickey’s neck. “I love you so much, Yevvie.”

“I love you too, Papa.”

After a few moments of smelling his sons scent and hiding his tears in his son’s hair, Mickey pulled back and gave Yev the best smile he could.

“Go on then. Time to go.”

“Yep.” Yev bounced excitedly. He grabbed Mickey’s hand again and said, “Will you sit in the back with me?”

Mickey’s eyebrows scrunched together. “What?”

“Sit with me on the way there? Pleeease?” Yev stretched out his plea.

Mickey glanced up at Svetlana who was clearly just as confused as he was.

“Yev, I’m… I’m not coming with you.”

“Yes you are, silly. You said we were going there to live.”

They had. They had said that. Svetlana and him. They had sat Yev down at the kitchen table and explained how he wasn't going to be living at the house anymore. He was going to be living somewhere bigger, with loads of places to play and he was going to get to go to a nice school where he would make loads of friends. In fact, they sold it so well on why he would love it there, they had obviously forgotten one major detail as to why he may hate it there. They never really said the words, ‘Papa won’t be living with us anymore.’ They fucked up. They fucked up big time.

“Yev, baby,” Mickey began, his heart beating heavily. He glanced around at the observers and they all shifted uncomfortably. Ian looked heartbroken and Mickey took comfort that he wasn’t the only one. “I’m not coming with you.” He looked into Yev’s eyes so he would understand. “You’re going to go live with Mama and Aaron in the new house. I’m gonna stay here, in the old house.”

Yev’s smile immediately dropped. “But that means I won’t be living with you no more.”

“No.” Mickey’s voice cracked. “No, baby, you won’t live with me anymore.”

“Why!?” Yev demanded, his bottom lip wobbling, his eyes filling and Mickey could feel his own lips twitching down as he fought the cry that was building in his throat.

“’Cos Mama and Aaron are gonna get married, remember? So you get to go live in that big house with them.”

“No!” Yev cried, ripping his hands from Mickey’s grip and giving him a shove, trying to shut him up.

“Yev-“

“NO!” He screamed. He ran to Svetlana who opened her arms expecting to receive a hug from the crying child. Instead she received a fist to her thigh.

“STUPID MAMA!” Yev screamed, punching Svetlana over and over again. Everyone stared in shock, Amy and Gemma hiding behind their Mom’s legs, as Yev continued to scream and hit his Mom.

Eventually, Svetlana got over the shock and grabbed Yev’s little wrists, he wriggled as she spoke firmly at him, “No Yevgeny. No hitting. You will see Papa on weekends. Stop being childish.”

Still struggling in his Mom’s grip, Yev realised he couldn’t release his hands, so instead he kicked her right in the shin. It looked like it hurt a lot.

“THAT IS ENOUGH!” Aaron shouted, grabbing Yevgeny around the waist and lifting him up as he wiggled. “We do not hit. We do not kick.” He opened the back door to his car. “He’ll settle once we’re on the road.”

Yev started to scream, high pitched and… fucking scared as he was put in his car seat and strapped in.

“PAPA! PAPA!” He screamed over and over again and Mickey could only stand there and watch as Yev coughed and hacked with the force of his cries.

Finally strapped down, Aaron closed the door to the car and trapped Yevgeny inside. Everyone could see how he twisted, trying to escape the confines of the straps, his little hands smacking against the glass and two red, sore looking eyes, stared and pleaded at Mickey as he screamed for his Papa over and over again.

“Papa!” Bang, bang, bang on the glass. “PAPA!” Over and over again.

“C’mon Svetlana.” Aaron walked to the driver’s side of the car and opened it. Svetlana was still frozen staring at her child crying in the back seat before finally moving to open her side of the car.

Before either of them could get in, Mickey ran to Yev’s door and wrenched it open. How could he stand there and watch his son, clearly panicking and terrified as he cried for him over and over again? Without a second thought he unclipped Yev from his seat and pulled him into his arms and stepped back onto the sidewalk and away from the car.

“Mickey what are you doing?” Aaron demanded.

Mickey ignored him as he held Yev tight, whispering, “I’m sorry, baby, it’s okay, it’s okay.” As Yev kissed Mickey’s neck and side of his face over and over again, desperate to feel the protectiveness of his Father surround him. He was fucking trembling.

He whimpered, “Papa,” with every kiss and Mickey’s heart broke more and more.

He glanced over to their audience, Fiona and Debbie both had hands over the mouths and tears in their eyes, Lip looked like he’d been hit over the head and Carl looked the least bored he’d been all day. Ian was crying, tears running down his face but he gave Mickey an encouraging smile. Vee and Kev were both looking to Svetlana with sad worried expressions.

Mickey looked to her too and shook his head. He didn’t know what to do.

Biting her lip and steeling herself, Svetlana walked over to Mickey to look at Yev.

“Yevgeny.” Yev peered up at her from his Papa’s neck. “If you come with me, you will not be able to live with Papa.” Yevgeny tightened his hold around Mickey’s neck. “But,” She took a deep breath. “If you stay here with Papa, if you go back to live at the old house, then you cannot live with me. I will be moving to new house. You can live with Papa, if you wish, but if you do, you cannot live with Mama.”

Mickey closed his eyes, sighing. He wanted to shout at Svetlana, for making their 5-year-old son have to choose between his parents. But it was the only way. Yevgeny needed to understand that he couldn’t have it both ways. He couldn’t have both parents under the same roof any more, that part of their lives was over now.

Yevgeny barely took 10 seconds to answer. “I wanna live with Papa.”

Svetlana’s face fucking crumbled and Yevgeny, seeing he’d caused her pain with his answer burst in to tears too.

“I’m sorry, Mama!” He wailed, before burying himself back into Mickey’s neck.

Mickey looked to Svetlana, utterly lost. “I’m sorry,” he whispered not knowing what else to do.

Svetlana shook her head and ran her hand down Yev’s back. “Baby look at me.”

He peered up at her again.

“I will come visit you. Every weekend, I come visit. I love you.”

“I love you Mama,” Yev wept as he leaned forward to give his Mom a kiss, still held tightly in Mickey’s arms.

Svetlana looked up at Mickey. “If I hate it. If job is shitty... if… if I miss my boys too much. I come back.”

“Yeah,” Mickey answered. Svetlana could always come back and Mickey would welcome her with open arms.

Svetlana nodded before wiping her eyes. She leaned in, kissed Mickey right on the lips, smirked at him then kissed her son on the head before turning quickly and jumping into the car like she was afraid she would change her mind.

Aaron stood with the driver’s door open, ready to get in, when he said, “I’ll get the movers to bring back Yevgeny’s things. And Lana and I’ll come down this weekend.”

Mickey nodded and with that, Aaron got in the car, turned on the engine and he and Svetlana were gone.

“Well.” A voice said behind them. Mickey turned to see Fiona looking awkward as fuck. “Anyone wanna come in and grab some pie?”

They all looked at Mickey, who glanced down at a red eyed, exhausted Yevgeny.

“Yeah,” he said. “Pie sounds good.”

 

Inside everyone was in the kitchen, eating and whispering about what just went down outside. Mickey and Yev stayed in the living room. Mickey on the couch and Yev on his lap, facing him, legs either side of Mickey’s hips. They weren’t speaking, simply staring at each other.

Yev was looking at him with so much love, Mickey thought he was going to explode with it. His little boy loved him so much he fought his hardest to stay with him and while Mickey never wanted to see Yev go through anything like that ever again, he couldn’t help but be in awe.

Eventually Yev rubbed one of his eyes and yawned.

“Tired?” Mickey whispered.

“Mhm.” Yev nodded.

Mickey pulled him to him so he lay with his head on his chest. “Go to sleep, baby.”

“K.” Yev sighed. “Love you, Papa.”

“I love you too.”

Then Yev was out flat. Soft breath fanning across Mickey’s chest and Yev’s little fist gripping his t-shirt.

Fiona popped her head in to see Mickey with his hand up the back of Yevgeny’s top, tickling his back, soothing the sleeping child, helping him relax.

“If you want, you can put him down in Liam’s bed?” She whispered.

Mickey thought about it for a moment. Yev waking up in a strangers bed, wondering where his Papa was after almost being taken away from him.

“Nah,” Mickey answered. “I’ll keep him with me.”

Fiona nodded and went back to the kitchen, passing Ian on her way.

“Hey,” Ian said quietly moving to the other side of the couch. “How’s he doing.”

“He’ll be okay. Just tired.”

“Yeah, don’t blame him.”

Both Mickey and Ian chuckled lightly before, Ian said, “I was wondering, if maybe, you wanna go out sometime?”

Mickey blinked. “You asking me on a date?”

“Yeah.” Ian shrugged.

“I dunno. I mean, I guess I’m a single dad now. Yev’s my number one priority.”

“Doesn’t mean you can’t have a life,” Ian replied.

Mickey frowned. “Yev is my life.”

Ian nodded. “Yeah, I get that.” He sighed. “I get jealous with the way you look at him sometimes. Like he’s best thing in the world. Makes me realise you used to look at me like that.”

Mickey shifted, uncomfortable with the revelation.

“I love you, you know,” Ian said. “I realised I’d never told you before, so I thought I should now.”

Mickey couldn’t even look at him, he simply nodded his head and continued to run his fingers up and down his sleeping son’ back.

Ian sighed. “I know you probably don’t love me anymore, so you don’t have to say it back, I just wanted you to know.”

Mickey inhaled deeply, his chest and Yev’s head rising with the motion. “It’s not that I don’t love you, Ian.” He finally turned to look at him. “I do love you. I just don’t think I like you very much.”

“That’s okay. I didn’t really like myself for a while either.” Ian grinned, though clearly trying to hide his hurt. “Is there anything I can do to help you like me again?”

“Honestly, Ian, I don’t know.”

“Well, how about this.” Ian shifted on the couch to face Mickey more fully. “How about we take things slow. I could come over like I’d been doing, but I can also come over to help out with Yev. Like you said, you’re a single dad now, so you’ll be needing a little help here and there, right?”

“I guess.” Mickey shrugged.

Ian bit his lip and said quietly, “This is only if you want to Mick. Just tell me if you want me to leave you alone.”

Mickey looked at him and felt a familiar stirring in his stomach that happened around Ian ever since their first time in his old bedroom.

“Have you been with anyone else since we, you know, started…” Making out sounded so childish and kissing sounded worse. Thankfully Ian didn’t need him to elaborate.

“No one. I’ve not been with anyone at all.” Ian said earnestly. “What about you.”

“No. No one.”

“Good.” Ian smiled.

Mickey couldn’t help but chuckle at the pleased look on Ian’s face. When he stopped he asked, “What if it take months or years for me to ever want you back?”

“Then I’ll wait for you.” Ian said simply.

Mickey cocked his head to the side. “And what if I never want you back?”

“Then I know I’ve spent my life waiting for something that was worth it.”

Mickey felt his lips twitch. “You’d be sentencing yourself to life without sex.”

“Meh, I’ve learned sex isn’t all that.”

Mickey raised an eyebrow. “Really? Mr Fireman not all that good in the sack, huh?”

Ian groaned, “Fuck Mickey. No one can hold a candle to your ass. I was dreaming about it every fucking time.”

Mickey laughed again and realised how far he’d come that he could laugh at Ian fucking some other guy while thinking about fucking Mickey instead.

“I’ve grown up a lot.” Ian said quietly. “And I want to do the rest of my growing with you. You and Yev.”

At that Yev moaned quietly, snuggling deeper in to his Dad’s chest.

Mickey looked at him and then at Ian with a smile.

“I think that’s something we’d both like.”

Ian smiled his megawatt smile and scooted closer to Mickey on the couch, placing one hand on Mickey’s and the other on the back of Yev’s head. They stared at each other for a moment before Mickey closed his eyes and gave himself over to the beginning of his new life with his son and an old love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the comments and the kudos. It really means a lot and if you could let me know your thoughts I would be really appreciative.


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